Gas compressor



J. s. ROBBINS 2,478,321

GAS COMPRESSOR Filed March 24, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 27 FIG. I.

INVENTOR JAMES s. ROBBINS ATTORNEYS Aug. 9, 1949. 5, ROBBlNs 2,478,321

GAS COMPRESSOR Filed March 24, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' INVENTOR JAMES S. ROBBINS ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 9, 1949 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE GAS COMPRESSOR James S. Robbins, Highland Park, Ill.

Application March 24, 1948, Serial No. 16,699

Claims. 1

This invention relates to gas compressors and is particularly directed to. the end of economizing power. In instances where a gas compressor of large capacity with the requirement of a con: siderable degree of gas compression is used, it is usually necessary to operate with. considerable inefficiency because of the variation in the pressure against which the pump must work and the fact that the size of the pump is limited by the power required at the maximum pressure to, which the gas is compressed.

The main objects of this invention are to pro.- vide improved gas compressing pumps capable of continuous operation with a constant expenditure of power; to provide. pumping mechanism in which the gas is compressed by means of a liquid acting as a piston in the compression cylinder, such liquid being pumped bya series of pumps acting through relative narrow ranges of: pressure and having substantially constant expenditure of power; to provide a gas compressor of this type which includes a; series of cylinde s and a series of pumps so connected that the aggregate amount of liquid circulated thereby will be constant and. the power requirements. will be substantially uniform throughout along period. of continuous operation; and to provide improved means for utilizing a series of liquid pumps act.-. ing in succession in connection with. a. series of gas pumping cylinders in a rotative cycle in such manner as to eificiently utilize a. constant application of power.

An illustrative specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figures, 1, 2 and 3. illustrate diagrammatically the most essential parts of a: gas compressing apparatus constructed according to this invention at successive stages. in a. single. cycle of its operation.

Fig. 4 is a schematic sectional. detaii of a form of distributing valve appropriate for a practical embodiment of one of the banks of valves, shown separately for clearness, in the diagram of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the section being taken at right angles to the axis; of the shaft of the valves.

Fig. 5: is. a. sectional view of the same taken: on, a plane: through the axis of the operating shaft.

Fig. 6 is a schematic. diagram showing a; method of applying power to the parts of the. apparatus, with appropriate timing of theoperatioir oi the distributing valves with respect to the quidpumps- In the form shown, the gascompressingap.

paratus comprises a series 015 gas pumping chame bers A, B and C connected at their lower ends, to a fluid reservoir ill by means of a series of cone duits M, ii and I3 corresponding in number to, the number of gas pumping chambers A, B and C. The conduit it includes a pump M of relatively large capacity for pumping. liquidat low pressure from the liquid reservoir 10 to the gas pumping chambers A, B and C.

The conduit l2 has a pump l5 of relatively lower capacity for pumping liquid at relatively high pressure from. the fluid reservoir [0 to the gas pumping cylinders A, Band C and the conduit H. is a return duct. for returning liquid from the gas pumping chambers A, B and C to the liquid reservoir ill.

The conduit 13 has individual branches l6, l1 and i8 connected respectively to the chambers A, B and C and controlled respectively by valves IA, IB and IC. The conduit I2 is connected by branch passages IS, 20 and 2i with the chambers A, B and C respectively and these passages. are respectively controlled by valves 2A, 2B and 2C. The conduit H is connected by branch passages, 22, 23 and 24 to. the respective chambers A, B and C and these branch passages are controlled by valves 3A, 33 and 3C.

The gas pumping chambers A, B and C are each provided with a gas inlet 25. controlled by inwardly opening check valves 4A, 4B and 4C respectively and with outlet passages 26 controlled by outwardly opening check valves 5A, 5B and 5C and leading to a receiver 21 to which compressed gas is to be delivered.

In the diagrams of Figs. 1, 2 and 3: it is assumed that the gas to be compressed is air; but it will be understood that if it is other than air, the gas inlets 25 would lead to a manifold and an appropriate conduit leading to the source of the gas. But this manifold is omitted from the draw-- lugs for the sake of simplicity.

Inthe diagrams of Figs. 1,. 2 and 3, some of the valves are shown closed and some open and arrows are employed to designate the direction of. flow of the gas and liquid. The lines 28 indicate liquid, levels in the gas pumping chambers corresponding to the different stages of operation; represented by Figs. 1, 2 and: 3 respectively.

In order to control the sequential opening and; closing of the valves lA, t3 and IC for connecting the pump l4 with the cylinders A, B and C in rotative' succession for repeated cycles of operation, the function of these valves can be accomplished by a single valve structure, such as is. illustrated. in Figs. 4 and 5 which comprises a cylindrical valve casing 29 having outlet porte 30, 3| and 32 leading to the manifolds I6, I! and i8 of the gas pumping chambers A, B and C. A rotatable valve head 33 is mounted within the casing 29 on shaft 34 and has a sector-shaped opening 35 at one side which, in the form shown, is about 120 in angular extent and communicates with a liquid inlet port 36 in the valve casing, so that when the valve rotates the port 36 will be Connected, through the valve, to the outlet ports 38, 3| and 32 in succession.

A similar distributing valve can perform the function of the valves 2A, 2B and 20 of the diagrams and another can perform the function of the valves 3A, 3B and 3C.

In Fig. 6 an arrangement of such distributing valves 291, 29.2 and 29.3 with respect to the conduits II, l2 and i3 and manifolds I6, I! and I8 is schematically illustrated with mechanical relation to the pumps such that all of the power is supplied by a single motor 3T. Here the pumps Ill and i5 are indicated as being driven at different speeds by the motor 31. A worm and gear connection 38 of the motor Sl to the shaft 34 is shown to indicate that the distributing valves 29.4, 29.2 and 29.3 are driven in timed relation to the speed of the pumps i l and i5.

It will be understood from the diagram and the foregoing description that there might be any number of liquid pumps to handle different ranges of pressure and that there would always be at least one more ga pumping chamber than there are liquid pumps in the system inasmuch as there is always one of the liquid pumping chambers which is returning liquid to the reservoir ill at times when it is disconnected from the pumps and at the same time is drawing in its succeeding charge of gas as the liquid surface 28 recedes. The bod of liquid within the gas pumping chamber serves as a piston as will be understood.

The reservoir Ill should be airtight and completely filled with liquid so that the pumps, in addition to forcing liquid into the pumping cylinders with which they are connected will simultaneously suck out the liquid from the gas pumping chamber that is connected with the return conduit ii.

The speed of rotation of the distributing head of each of the valves 291, 29.2 and 29.3 is timed with respect to the speeds and combined capacities of the pumps, so that the liquid in any pumping chamber will move between predetermined minimum and maximum levels and will never reach the level of the gas inlets 4A, filB and 40 under any circumstances of operation.

In the normal operation of the device, the pumps 5 d and i5 will be continuous in their operation and will serve all the gas pumping cylinders in such manner that the low pressure pump l4 will operate between pressure ranges up to roughly two-thirds of the maximum pressure that is attained in each gas pumping chamber and the high pressure pump I5 will handle the remaining pressures in the upper ranges.

Where there is a large range of gas pressures, there could, of course, be more pumps. Thus the pump It will fill one cylinder about twothirds full while the pump I5 is adding a final third of liquid supply to another cylinder and at the same time gravity and the suction effect of both pump will evacuate the liquid from the third cylinder. As the liquid level in any chamber is falling, the corresponding check valves 4A, 4B and 8C will open and admit a charge of gas, and, when the pressure of the gas in a chamall) 4 ber exceeds that of the gas in a receiver, the corresponding check valves 5A, 5B and 50 will be forced open and permit the escape of the gas to the receiver.

It will be understood that in so far as the fbregoing disclosure is directed to specific details of construction, there are numerous details which may be modified or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A gas compressor, comprising a eries of vertically disposed gas pumping chambers, a reservoir for supplying a liquid, a series of liquid pumps of different capacities each having an inlet connection to said reservoir and having separate outlet connections to each of said gas pumping chambers, each said gas pumping chamber having a liquid return conduit leading to said reservoir, ga receiver means, each gas pumping chamber having a gas inlet in its upper part, each gas pumping chamber having a gas outlet in its upper part connected to said gas receiver means, valve means controlling said ga inlets and outlets for pumping gas to said receiver through changes in the liquid levels in said gas pumping chambers, and valve means controlling the flow of liquid from said liquid pumps to said pumping chambers and from the latter to said reservoir.

2. A gas compressor, comprising a series of vertically disposed gas pumping chambers, a reservoir for supplying a liquid, a series of liquid pumps of different capacities each having an inlet connection to said reservoir and having separate outlet connections to each of said gas pumping chambers, each said gas pumping chamber having a liquid return conduit leading to said reservoir, gas receiver means, each gas pumping chamber having a gas inlet in its upper part, each gas pumping chamber having a gas outlet in its upper part connected to said gas receiver means, valve means controlling said gas inlets and outlets for pumping gas to said receiver through changes in the liquid levels in said gas pumping chambers, and valve means whereby said liquid pumps and said liquid return connections are connected to each said pumping chamber in rotative succession with respect to each other.

3. A gas compressor, comprising a series of vertically disposed gjas pumping chambers, a reservoir for supplying a liquid, a series of liquid pumps of different capacities each having an inlet connection to said reservoir and having separate outlet connections to each of said gas pumping chambers, each said gas pumping chamber having a liquid return conduit leading to said reservoir, gas receiver means, each gas pumping chamber having a gas inlet in its upper part, each gas pumping chamber having a gas outlet in its upper part connected to said gas receiver means, valve means controllin said gas inlets and outlets for pumping gas to said receiver through changes in the liquid levels in said gas pumping chambers, and interconnected valve means operative to connect said gas pumping chambers in succession to said reservoir, first successively through different said liquid pumps, and then through said return conduit.

4. A gas compressor, comprising a series of vertically disposed gas pumping chambers, a

reservoir for supplying a liquid, a series of liquid pumps of different capacities each having an inlet connection to said reservoir and having separate outlet connections to each of said gas pumping chambers, each said gas pumping chamber having a liquid return conduit leading to said reservoir, gas receiver means, each gas pumping chamber having a gas inlet in its upper part, each gas pumping chamber having a gas outlet in its upper part connected to said gas receiver means, valve means controlling said gas inlets and outlets for pumping gas to said receiver through changes in the liquid levels in said gas pumping chambers, and interconnected valve means 0perative to connect said gas pumping chambers in succession to said reservoir, first successively through different said liquid pumps, and then through said return conduit, there being one more gas pumping chamber than there are liquid pumps and said reservoir being air tight, whereby the operation of said liquid pumps will draw liquid from each gas pumping chamber in succession as liquid is being delivered by said liquid pumps to all of the other gas pumping chambers.

5. A gas compressor, comprising a series of vertically disposed gas pumping chambers, each having a gas inlet and a gas outlet in its upper part, valve means controlling said inlets and outlets for pumping gas through changes in the liquid levels in said gas pumping chambers, and each said gas chamber having at its lower part an inlet manifold, a series of distributing valves each having a branch connection to each of said manifolds, a liquid reservoir, separate conduits connecting each of said distributing valves to said liquid reservoir, one of said conduits serving to conduct liquid from its respective distributing valve, and the remaining said conduits including pumps for delivering liquid at respectively different pressures from said reservoir to the respective distributing valve, each said distributing valve having a rotary valve head ported to open communication between its respective conduit and its said branch connections singly and in succession, said valve heads being positioned in fixed angular relation to each other so that their respective conduits are brought into communication with said manifolds in cyclic succession, and driving mechanism operating said liquid pumps continuously and rotating said distributing valve heads in timed relation to the operation of said liquid pumps.

JAMES S. ROBBINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenices are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 322,811 Italy Nov. 26, 1934 566,825 France Feb. 21, 1924 

